A portion of Landmark Beach on Victoria Island, Lagos, was demolished on Monday to make room for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Nigeria’s largest public infrastructure project.
This is amid widespread concern about the potential loss of jobs and means of living.
Meanwhile, Minister of Works Dave Umahi defended the demolition, stating that the move was essential because the landmark centre was located on the Federal Government’s right-of-way.
The minister previously stated that the coastal highway project will only demolish 50 metres of beach and a few shanties, leaving “permanent structures” undisturbed.
Images from the destruction revealed that structures built along the coastline, such as cabanas and football turf, were demolished. Breeze Beach Club, located in the middle, was also demolished.
A post on X from Landmark Africa, the parent company of the beach, in reaction to the exercise, read “What we built in six years was destroyed in six hours”, alluding to their investment believed to be around $200m that has been turned to ruins. They, however, promised to be back.
Recall that Landmark owner Paul Onwuanibe had previously pleaded with the government to reinstate the coastal road work to its original route before it was shifted to the shoreline.
He stated that the original plan will not only save enterprises that would otherwise be destroyed by the amended plan, but it will also save the government money and personnel.
“The original alignment of the coastal road was Water Corporation Road. I mean, you had the picture on your screen, and it showed quite clearly the Water Corporation Road, the two feeder lanes, and then the medium that was meant to house it.
“Then there’s Landmark, and there’s the beach, and there’s the sea. The alignment was changed from Water Corporation Road… so instead of it running on the land side of Landmark, it’s going to run on the beach side of Landmark,” he told Arise TV.
